1. Field
The disclosed system and method relates to a network facsimile apparatus. More particularly, the disclosed system and method relates to a network facsimile apparatus which is capable of allowing users to browse a history of relay transmission on their data terminals.
2. Description of the Related Arts
There has been developed a so-called network facsimile machine that is capable of exchanging data (e.g. electronic mail) with other data terminals via a local area network (LAN) and the Internet, as well as exchanging facsimile data with other facsimile machines via a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Such a network facsimile machine is capable of transmitting image information to both users of data terminals (e.g. personal computers) on the local area network and of facsimile machines connected to the public switched telephone network. Also, the network facsimile machine may transmit image information to data terminals connected to other local area networks when the local area network of the network facsimile machine is connected to other local area networks through the Internet.
Moreover, users can transmit image information from a facsimile machine to data terminals on a local area network via the network facsimile machine. This function of the network facsimile machine may be referred to as an information relay function. The network facsimile machine can also relay information to other network facsimile machines across local area networks.
In the information relay operation, the network facsimile machine generally uses a sub-address signal (SUB) which is a control signal sent from the facsimile terminal. Sub-address is defined by the Group 3 facsimile protocol according to the recommendation T.30 of ITU-T (international telecommunication union-telecommunication). Each of the data terminals on a local area network is assigned a sub-address, so that any data terminal can be designated with the sub-address by a communications machine outside the local area network. In many cases, the network facsimile machine is provided with an address conversion table for converting a sub-address into an E-mail address.
When the relay transmission is requested by a data terminal in which a destination machine is a facsimile terminal, the data terminal writes a facsimile number in a header of E-mail. Thereby, the network facsimile machine can perform relay transmission by designating the destination facsimile terminal using the facsimile number provided.
Accordingly, users can greatly benefit from such convenient connections between networks of the facsimile machines and the data terminals by means of the network facsimile machine. However, the above-mentioned system has a lack of convenience in monitoring a history of relay transmission for operators at the data terminals. When an operator of a data terminal needs to check the request for relay transmission made yesterday, for example, the operator must go to the network facsimile machine because data in connection with the history of relay transmission is stored in the network facsimile machine.
It is believed that there is no system available that allows users to check the history of relay transmission at the data terminal without a journey to the network facsimile machine.
The present application provides a communications terminal that can be coupled to a local area network and a public telephone network and that allows users to check the history of relay transmission at a data terminal without a journey to the communications terminal. In one embodiment, the communications terminal includes a first communications device, a second communications device, a controller, and a memory.
The first communications device transmits and receives image or text information through the local area network using a first predetermined communications procedure. The second communications device transmits and receives facsimile image information through the public switched telephone network using a second predetermined communications procedure. The controller performs an information relay operation for relaying image information, sent from a facsimile terminal, to a data terminal. The controller further performs another information relay operation for relaying image or text information, sent from a data terminal, to a facsimile terminal. The memory stores a first data base for communications history files, and a communications history report page. Preferably, the first data base cumulatively retains a plurality of communications history files associated with the respective information relay operations. The communications history report page preferably includes data of the communications history files.
The controller controls the first communications device to transfer the communications history report page of the first data base to a data terminal in response to a first event that the data terminal selects the communications history report page using a predetermined page browsing procedure.
The memory may further store a second data base for communications contents files. Preferably, the communications contents files in the data base are associated with the respective information relay operations. Preferably, each of the communications history files of the first data base included in the communications history report page is associated with the corresponding communications contents file of the second data base. The controller controls the first communications device to transfer the selected communications contents file of the second data base to a data terminal in response to a second event that the data terminal selects one of the communications contents files in the communications history report page using a predetermined page browsing procedure.
The memory may previously stores an authorized users list. If the authorized users list is previously stored in the memory, the controller can verify a user identification sent from the data terminal against the authorized users list and controls the first communications device to transfer the selected communications contents file of the second data base to the data terminal only when the user identification matches to data of the authorized users list, in response to the second event.
The memory may previously stores an authorized users list. If the authorized users list is previously stored in the memory, the controller can verify a user identification sent from the client data terminal against the authorized users list and transfers the communications history report page to the data terminal only when the user identification matches to data of the authorized users list, in response to the first event.
The communications history report page may be in accordance with a hyper text markup language (HTML).
The predetermined page browsing procedure may be in accordance with a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP).
The first predetermined communications procedure may be a Group 3 facsimile procedure.
The second predetermined communications procedure may at least one of a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), a multipurpose Internet message extensions (MIME), and a file transfer protocol (FTP).
The present application also provides an electronic communications system which includes a plurality of facsimile terminals coupled to a public switched telephone network and a plurality of local area networks connected with each other. In one embodiment, each local area network includes a plurality of data terminals and a communications terminal which is coupled to the public switched telephone network.
In one embodiment, the communications terminal includes first and second communications devices, a controller, and a memory. The first communications device transmits and receives image or text information through the local area network using a first predetermined communications procedure. The second communications device transmits and receives facsimile image information through the public switched telephone network using a second predetermined communications procedure. The controller performs an information relay operation for relaying image information, sent from one of the plurality of facsimile terminals, to at least one of the plurality of data terminals. The controller further performs another information relay operation for relaying image or text information, sent from one of the plurality of data terminals, to at least one of the plurality of facsimile terminals. The memory stores a first data base for communications history files, and a communications history report page. Preferably, the first data base cumulatively retains a plurality of communications history files associated with the respective information relay operations. The communications history report page preferably includes data of the communications history files.
The controller controls the first communications device to transfer the communications history report page of the first data base to one of the plurality of data terminals in response to a first event that the above-mentioned one of the plurality of data terminals selects the communications history report page using a predetermined page browsing procedure.
The memory may further stores a second data base for communications contents files. Preferably, the communications contents files in the data base are associated with the respective information relay operations. Preferably, each of the communications history files of the first data base included in the communications history report page is associated with the corresponding communications contents file of the second data base. The controller controls the first communications device to transfer the selected communications contents file of the second data base to one of the plurality of data terminals in response to a second event that the above-mentioned one of the plurality of data terminals selects one of the communications contents files in the communications history report page using a predetermined page browsing procedure.
The memory may previously stores an authorized users list. If the authorized users list is previously stored in the memory, the controller can verify a user identification sent from the data terminal against the authorized users list and controls the first communications device to transfer the selected communications contents file of the second data base to the above-mentioned one of the plurality of data terminals only when the user identification matches to data of the authorized users list, in response to the second event.
The memory may previously stores an authorized users list. If the authorized users list is previously stored in the memory, the controller can verify a user identification sent from the client data terminal against the authorized users list and transfers the communications history report page to the above-mentioned one of the plurality of data terminals only when the user identification matches to data of the authorized users list, in response to the first event.
The communications history report page may be in accordance with a hyper text markup language (HTML).
The predetermined page browsing procedure may be in accordance with a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP).
The first predetermined communications procedure may be Group 3 facsimile procedure.
The second predetermined communications procedure may be at least one of a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), a multipurpose Internet message extensions (MIME), and a file transfer protocol (FTP).